Cynthia

I read somewhere that if SmartBurn is to be enabled - also HT needs to be enabled, as SmartBurn depends on HT. Force HT is the same as forget the write strategy in the firmware and create a new one. So either disable SmartBurn or enable Online HT. I had/have the same issue with my Lite-On.

Try 4x.

Never used any slim line writers - so no clue. Here are some known brands models. Samsung S082H or Optiarc AD-7630A/AD-7633A. Both the Samsung and the Optiarcs allows 8x DL burning.

Hi and welcome to the forum, kev1961! Can you post the log of that failed burn? Main Menu -> Help -> ImgBurn Logs

It looks to me as a Dell OEM Nec writer. There are later firmwares for that one and it should be possible to flash it up to the latest based on some other forum posts. http://www.dellcommunity.com/supportforums...d=179156#M48753 http://club.cdfreaks.com/f86/first-firmwar...796/index3.html 1.x is for MASTER and 2.x is for SLAVE. So assuming that you have it set up for Master - I would try with the 103D version. As you have tried with other writers and you know that the flash could go wrong I would go for a try. The only other real option is to get a new writer that works with DL media.

According to this page - your media should be able to be burned at 20x in the Optiarc. http://www.sonynec-optiarc.eu/uploads/a2/L...pport_Media.pdf Also the Pioneer supports that media up to 20x. I have the Optiarc myself - but the Pioneer is a nice one also (several beta members have it).

Shouldn't matter what you burn.

Only thing is to get media that this burner likes. The current one is not that. If you can find it - Verbatim 2.4x rated manufactured in Singapore. Avoid the Indian ones.

Hi and welcome to the forum, manuelpc! There is a later firmware for that writer - version 1.24. http://www.pioneer.co.uk/uk/content/suppor...t/software.html Here is a list of the supported media for that writer. http://wwwbsc.pioneer.co.jp/product-e/ibs/...diaList_121.pdf

You don't use ImgBurn? Can you post a log?

http://forums.afterdawn.com/thread_view.cfm/619817

The only difference that I know of is that Nero uses it's own NERO ASPI/SPTI.

As you haven't anything attached to those IDE controllers - there is no DMA status to report. You can right click on the VIA ATA Channel and select properties in the tab Advanced settings there should be a DMA option.

@ majestic I think the clue is in this page http://support.necam.com/optical/downloads/6650Amedia.pdf Even if this is the firmware support for the Nec version - I doubt that the OEM version is different. It looks to me as there is no support for that media in the firmware - so instead it is using a generic writing strategy - that works sometimes and other times not. It's also a device that based on 'failed burn' posts seems like a less good writer. Perhaps the only good solution is to replace it with a writer that likes your media. I also doubt that there will be any new firmware releases for your current model, as it has been a long time since they released any.

I've read on another forum that they have problem with the hardware.

I think you should check in the BIOS setting to see how it's set up there.

The ones I was referring to only have 2.4x speed supported. They have been out on the market longest - so in most cases newer writers have support for those discs. The 2.4x - 6x media is newer and not all writers support those. Based on this: I do get a feeling that the writers firmware don't include full support for those discs. If it had support for them - the 'Speeds:' info should have included this (Speeds: 2.4x, 4x, 6x). And as it can't fully support those discs - it can't burn any slower or faster than 4x on that media.

Yes, I got some TDK's badged as 16x - but they included 18x rated discs. Overburn for me is when you burn more data then what the default size shows. I think they are meaning Overspeed. Normally you need patched firmware to allow the Optiarcs to perform that. But your media is manufactured as 20x media already.

The most compatible is the pure 2.4x rated ones from Singapore.

I couldn't find any.

Are those Verbatims rated 8x?

The only thing that I can think of is that these discs are rather new and perhaps the Optiarc firmware needs to be developed a bit more to fully support this media code. I haven't seen Verbatims that supports 18x and and 20x in my shops yet.

I used those discs (Made in India) in the past with a similar Nec writer on 12x speed. But the quality went down - so I moved over to the +R instead. I think you should try with another media code as LUK suggested above - just to rule out the media as the base of the problem and also try to burn one at 12x or 16x.

Curious. Any reason for not using ver 2.4.1.0? Edit: First log with SP3 I've seen - hope it's not related to SP3. Edit 2: If you use the 'Test Mode' option in the write function and set it to 'MAX' speed - can it perform at 16x speed then? Just to see how fast you can get it.